Lacunose
by Risque Tendencies
Summary: Akihiko is a stubborn, unlucky in love star author. Shinobu is a driven young therapist with a no-nonsense attitude. Can they help each other navigate the complex world of love and relationships? AU. Mystery pairings - may end up canon or non-canon!


**Title Definition**- Lacunose: Full of gaps or voids.

**Summary-** Akihiko is a stubborn, unlucky in love star author. Shinobu is a driven young therapist with a no-nonsense attitude. Can they help each other navigate the complex world of love and relationships? AU. Mystery pairings - may end up canon or non-canon!

**Ages- **_Shinobu is twenty-five here, and as far as I can figure, he's a year younger than Misaki, who in turn was ten years below Usagi in canon... making Usagi thirty-six in this story after adding up the age difference._

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Chapter One**  
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"They simply have no regard for my private time, so I believed that they could stand to be taught a little lesson. That's all."

The older male shifted his hand from the armrest of the chair down to his lap, elegant fingers tapping out an irritated pattern proximal to his knee. His actions were as if the people of whom he spoke were right there with them in the room. Violet eyes narrowed, recalling the scene of chaos that was the master bedroom in his penthouse the night he had decided to escape early from another pesky banquet out from under overbearing noses. Yes, the great author Usami Akihiko had well and foiled their work-related machinations _that_ evening.

"Employers don't generally take well to getting the run-around from their employees, Usami-san," a bored voice moralized, punctuating the reproof with, "In fact you've pushed yours to the breaking point more than a few times, and that's only since you've been seeing me this year. You might want to offset that with a little diligence, now and again."

"Words cannot be forced out on command, whatever my editors might think."

"That may be," Shinobu allowed, "however, last night wasn't about getting one of your books done, it was about celebrating one that was already out in the world. Why were you determined to cut out early on your own party, so to say?"

"Must there be a reason?" the succulent voice drawled. A hint of a bemused smile played around Akihiko's lips.

Shinobu's thin hands clutched at the side of the ledger perched on his lap, struggling to rein in his own virile temper. Usami Akihiko was a regular of his, but for all the times he'd listened and conversed with the eccentric writer in these sessions, it didn't make him any easier to comprehend. He was a man of many outstanding qualities - intelligence, art, clever with words, good breeding, handsome. With those assets though, came the caveat of a finicky personality.

"There isn't much point in these sessions if you refuse to explain yourself. I work with the mind, but I am not a mind reader. Neither is anyone on this earth, truly, so speak," the blond threatened, donning a no-nonsense approach as was common with this particular client. "If there is a particular issue, perhaps we can eliminate it, if you'll tell me what that is. Lucky for you, you've been rather successful with your writing, so I'll wager the people who work with you would be willing to scrape a little if you'll be more tractable in return."

Akihiko considered the viability of that suggestion. It was a bit of a nuisance when he was constantly micromanaged by the editorial team for his prior bad behavior. If they could come to some form of agreement, maybe then a little peace could be obtained. And peace was what he wanted, particularly at a troubling time like th-

"Well?" his therapist prompted.

The silver-haired wordsmith cast a sidelong glance at the youth. Takatsuki Shinobu. Twenty-five years of age, and thus somewhat of a prodigy for where he had made it to in his career so early. From what he'd uncovered over the year he'd been having sessions with the boy wonder, Takatsuki had sped through Teito University, Usami's own alma mater, with near-flawless grades and a singular sense of ambition driving him.

With a little help from his privileged family, the nascent graduate had been able to begin practicing on a small scale. Truly, though, that nepotism meant little in the scheme of things. Whatever else Akihiko could say about the other, Shinobu was capable.

His forceful manner was one of the reasons for his burgeoning success, and one of the reasons why he'd been recommended to the author when he'd decided he was ready to try a shrink. Usami knew that it would take the right person to do him any good, and so far, he was satisfied with their arrangement. He harbored a grudging respect for Takatsuki that made it easier to spill details of his life to someone so much younger than himself.

"To be frank, one of the editors they've chained me to is a complete bloodsucker. He has no conception of what it is to write, possibly due to the fact that he cannot manage to string together an intelligent sentence himself. Yet, he feels bold enough to demand that I pump out books on a regular schedule, as if this is a serial or a season of television episodes. It's about the money, but if he'd clean his ears out, he'd know damn well that I don't care for that motivation!"

Slinking backward into the wings of the cozy armchair he was enthroned in, Akihiko let his ardor simmer in silence, trying to hold in any further outbursts. He'd made his point clear. Now he'd wait to see if it had been worth showing up here today, or not.

"Which one is that? Who is giving you trouble, the new editor?"

"No," the elder waved a hand, dismissively, "Onodera is fine. Competent, shockingly. It's the other, Yamaguchi. He was always quiet in the beginning, but the past few months it's like a fire got ignited under his ass. As if it's his fame he's fighting for, not to mold my stories to where they need to be."

"Cut the fat if he's not doing his work. He's not a publicist, but it sounds like he'd like to be. Perhaps after he's set loose, he'll end up there on his own power."

"Oh? That sounds like something I'd actually consider. Losing your sharp edge, Takatsuki-kun?"

"I'm not here to oppose all of your opinions, Usami-san. I sort through what you say, throw out the bullshit, and try to help you with what your real problems are. Don't act so astounded to hear me agree with you on something."

"Though," the blond pointed out, "writing is your occupation, so you should be concerned with that aspect to some degree. Are you working on anything right now?"

"Like I divulged to you the previous time, there is no inspiration. So how could there exist a tale spun from nothing?"

"Right. And I'm sure this 'dry spell' would have nothing to do with the approaching date of a certain _wedding_, would it?" Shinobu knew it was hitting a little below the belt to brusquely bait a patient like this, but with Usami, more unusual methods were the only ones that garnered results. A soft grip on the man's reins would yield nothing but evasive answers and a greater lack of respect than his apathetic disposition naturally radiated off.

"...," Akihiko snarled wordlessly, his ire beginning to unloose from its quiver, shooting across the room in the form of a ice-laden, violet glare.

"Ah, and there we go, finally!" the youth clamored at the sour expression on the author's face, knowing that he was finally hitting on some truth. "I see you still haven't been able to let go of that in a healthy fashion. You do remember me telling you that you need to find a way to move on, don't you? Because I hate to say it, Usami-san, but sometimes our dreams are not attainable. Your friend, Takahiro, is clearly in a good place of his life, and he's chosen his future. Let your resentment continue to stew, and you'll have no chance of finding happiness for yourself outside of him, who is no longer an option."

"I recall you serving me with some inane lecture-" Akihiko paused, toying with the contents of his blazer pocket and procuring a new stick and trusted lighter, "where it essentially boiled down to 'Throw away something you've treasured for over a decade and suck it up.' Forgive me, wise therapist, one year out of school, but I'm not interested." He assembled the cigarette with effortless ease, flicking off the barest of ash on the tip.

Hissing in response to the new action, Shinobu swiftly crossed across the room and threw open the nearest window, a look of significant revulsion pointedly displayed. After beginning the process of aerating the offensive smoke from the cramped quarters, the young professional strode up to his client, hand outstretched. The gesture was not a casual one, but held the weight of someone who rarely took no for an answer.

"Fork it over, Usami."

"It's a free country, you pestilential brat."

Ignoring the hardened words, Shinobu stood his ground. "I wouldn't be too sure about that; no country really fits that standard. In any case, you're in _my_ office, so it's my rules. And I don't abide this shit where I can breathe it in. So sue me."

The younger shot a look of challenge at Akihiko, before breaking in an expression of wry amusement, as if he couldn't really decide whether to laugh or be frustrated with the blank stare the author was serving him with. A cigarette dangled loosely from the man's parted lips. "However, as a law graduate, you know well enough that there aren't enough grounds to do so, and I don't expect you to care to put in the effort. Instead, you'll take it outside like I've requested, if you must indulge your disgusting habit."

Leveling a final face of annoyance at Shinobu, Akihiko finally relented, snuffing out the stick and handing it over in defeat. After disposing of it, the blond spun round, determined on reopening the previous discussion.

"So, you may not like my advice, but what do you plan on doing, then? Standing up and objecting in the middle of the ceremony?" he inquired, gingerly seating himself once more in the chair across from the older man. Narrowed eyes followed his trajectory, absorbing the commentary with an steely expression. Usami pondered the question for a stilted moment before crafting a surprisingly quiescent reply.

"I'd never dream of doing so," the author murmured, tilting his gaze to the floor, "my aim is for him to be happy. I only wish that was a possibility with me."

**. . . . .**

"Yes, mother, I'm still at work." Shinobu propped the phone's receiver more aptly between his neck and shoulder, right hand engaged in scrawling out a few closing notes from the appointments he'd had during the day. Details of what was said, any new concerns, any signs of progress... he preferred to keep the writing simple, so that it could be used as a quick reference in the future. The meat of what Shinobu knew about his patients he was able to pull from his brain on a whim; his written entries comprised merely the basics.

"Come home for dinner? Isn't it kind of lat-" he was summarily cut off by the individual on the other line, who added something before he could finish his sentence.

"His colleague is coming over, and the man's family... I see. Isn't that something you'd normally do, just the two of you? Why do I need to be there? Did you make Ris-" Shinobu huffed in mounting frustration on his end as, once more, he was interrupted. If she hadn't been the female to graciously give him life, he thought he'd have no patience for her. He already had a pithy amount for his elder sister as it was, so the chances were slim of his mother getting by without that fundamental boon that he owed her.

"Meet them?" Rolling his slate eyes, he decided it would harm him less in the end to acquiesce than it would to refuse the order. "I suppose I could stop by. Though, again, I don't get how meeting this guy would matter to either of us at all..."

**. . . . .**

**Parting note**: **Hey, all.** I'd really appreciate a review, to know that someone is enjoying this, or interested in seeing where it goes.

Some chapters will be from _Shinobu_'s POV, and some will be from _Usagi_'s. As for who will end up together, well, that's the fun. I'm leaving it a mystery ;) Have fun guessing if it'll be canon (Romantica and Terrorist), or non. I welcome any and all speculation, considering that other characters will enter the story in later chapters, creating more and more possibilities for the final couples.


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